Friday, December 28, 2007

These madeleines were especially made for a person I hold very dear. A woman who has been a friend for a while now. We talk about a million things, laugh together and sometimes cry together too.C., I adore you and wish you all the best not only in 2008 but always!

I made the madeleines using one of the hundreds of wonderful recipes at Bake or Break and the lovely Jennifer was kind enough to let me post it here on my blog as well.

The madeleines were delicious and quite moist on the inside – the flavor and texture reminded me of those luxurious chocolate cakes that call for little or no flour at all, like the Suzy’s cake by Pierre Hermé.

Preheat oven to 175ºC/350ºF. Using a paper towel or pastry brush, coat the insides of madeleine pan with melted butter.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt on low microwave power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Add vanilla extract and combine.

Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until frothy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and mix until mixture is very thick and pale (about 5 minutes). The mixture should hold a slowly dissolving ribbon when the beater is lifted.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt. Add to the egg mixture in three stages, mixing well on low speed after each addition. Mixture should be smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture into the batter and mix well.

Pour or pipe (very tightly) the batter into the madeleine pan, filling them ¾ full (I was a bad girl and poured a little bit more batter). Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. If baking two pans at once, bake 6-7 minutes, then switch the position of the pans and bake another 6-7 minutes. Madeleines are done when the tops spring back lightly when touched.

Can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper for 3 days.

*Large eggs and extra-large eggs are interchangeable until you need more than 4 eggs.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

I have been meaning to bake something for the event ever since she announced it but had a hard time choosing the recipe. I have postedlotsofcookieslately, but I wanted something more Christmassy for the event. And I think these fit the bill.

I’m a huge fan of spices so this cookie has become one of my all-time favorites. I hope you like them too!

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg and molasses and mix until blended and an even light brown color, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it.

Spread the granulated sugar in a large piece of waxed/parchment paper or in a plate. Roll 1 leveled tablespoon of dough between the palms of your hands and form a ball. Roll the ball in the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets. Continue making cookies, spacing them 2 inches (5cm) apart.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm but they are still soft in the center and there are several large cracks on top, about 14 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes 45 - if you want to make giant cookies like the ones in the book, use ¼ cup of dough per ball; you should get 14 cookies.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

I made chocottones again this year (gifts to my coworkers) and after baking them for an entire afternoon I had no eggs left in my pantry. Zero. Nada.
I wanted to bake cookies but was too lazy to go to the grocery store… Luckily I found a recipe for a crisp chocolate chip cookie that did not call for eggs.

The dough is super easy to put together and I baked the cookies in a heartbeat. I didn’t want giant cookies, so I used a tablespoon to measure the dough - and still got big cookies (the size of the palm of my hand, a bit less than 3 inches).

The recipe calls for 2 cups (12 ounces) of chocolate chips, but I thought that 9 ounces were enough.

Next time you feel like baking and there are no eggs in your pantry, try these – and feel free to add more chocolate chips if you want.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, mix the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. The dough will look crumbly. Mix in the water. The dough will become soft and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using an ice-cream scoop or measuring cup with a ¼ cup capacity, scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 3 inches (7.5cm) apart. Gently press the cookies to flatten them slightly, to about ¾ inch (1.9cm) thick (mine were a bit thinner)

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops are evenly lightly browned and have a few cracks, about 17 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

* the original recipe calls for ¾ cup light brown sugar and ¾ granulated sugar – since the brown sugar I had at home was dark, I changed the proportions a little bit.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 165ºC/325ºF.Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put the dark chocolate in a heatproof container or the top of a double boiler and place it over, but not touching, a saucepan of barely simmering water (or the bottom of the double boiler). Stir the chocolate until melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute.Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the melted chocolate until blended. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until blended, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture, mixing just until it is incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips (both semisweet and white).

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until they crack slightly on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter, about 18 minutes (if the toothpick penetrates a chocolate chip, test another spot).Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The outsides of the cookies will become crisp as the cookies cool.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

In a mixing bowl, mix together the butter, salt, parmesan, black pepper and basil until creamy and speckled. Slowly add the flour, and mix until dough holds together when pinched. If dough is still too crumbly, add up to 1 tablespoon of ice water – I didn’t need to. Turn out onto a floured counter top, roll into a ball and then into an elongated log, around 30 to 35cm (12 to 14 in) long, depending on how large you want your crackers. Try to make sure the log is an even length, and wrap in tinfoil or plastic and freeze for at least half an hour, or longer if you don't want to serve them today. If you do, preheat your oven to 175ºC/350ºF.

Remove from the freezer, and slice into rounds: the original recipe (by Ina Garten) yields nearly 36, L. got 24 or so and I got 35. Arrange in rows on the baking sheet, with at least a little space between them - they won't spread like normal cookies or biscuits. Bake for 15-25 minutes, checking after 15, until golden brown around the edges and smelling delicious (so true!! The smell is intoxicating).Remove and cool completely, or serve slightly warm.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

There are certain things that we know are great way before we even see/hear them.

Take Kanye West, for instance; I knew who he was (after Katrina and his TV statement) even though I did not know any of his songs. The minute I read that he had recorded a song featuring Daft Punk I knew it would be amazing – and I wasn’t wrong. To make things even better, the guys are on the video, too! How cool is that?

The same thing happened with this recipe. When I read that these cookies were a homemade version of Oreos I knew I had to try them. They had to be good. I mean, Oreos are delicious – I absolutely love them – and Adrienne says on her post that the cookies were BETTER than the store-bought ones… I have to tell you that she was right. Oh, so right. These are FANTASTIC.

The cream I made was a tad too sweet because I ended up using more confectioners’ sugar than it was necessary; but please, don’t mind me and my stupid conversion mistakes - go ahead and bake these cookies (I’m posting the correct amount).

One last thing: has anyone watched this? It’s on my wish list and I’d love to hear your opinion about it.

In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.

Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 5cm (2in) apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes (I baked mine for 10), rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.

To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1.25cm (½ in) round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Monday, December 10, 2007

I’m always interested in new ways of cooking pasta.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love fresh tomato sauce (I only use homemade) but pasta gives you so many possibilities that it’s almost a sin not to try other sauces and ingredient combinations.

If you are in a hurry and have to put dinner together quickly, this is a really good recipe: you can take a shower while the peppers are roasting and boil the water/cook the pasta while they’re cooling down.

The original recipe calls for feta, but I decided to use some delicious smoked ricotta I had in the fridge. The sweet flavor of the peppers played wonderfully with the saltiness of the cheese.

This is my entry for the Weekend Herb Blogging, this time hosted by Astrid, from Paulchen's Food Blog.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF. Rub the peppers with a little oil, slice them in half lengthways and put them, skin-side up, on a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the skin blackens and blisters. Put the peppers in a plastic bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap, allow them to cool, then remove the skin and seeds. Put the pepper flesh into a blender with the vinegar ad 10 basil leaves, season and blend. Add the strained liquid from the baking dish (if there’s any) and a little olive oil to make a sauce consistency. Put the sauce in a large saucepan over low heat to keep it warm.

Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente, then drain the pasta and add it to the warm pepper sauce. Crumble half the ricotta over the pasta and gently toss the ingredients together. Serve garnished with the remaining basil leaves and the rest of the ricotta crumbled on top.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Holiday baking is quite new to me – it’s not something we do here in Brazil, but from the moment I started reading foodblogs – and then blogging – I thought that it would be a lovely tradition for me to adopt.Last year I made a couple of cookies and some truffles to give as gifts and it was such a great experience that I intend to do that again this year. And the next. And the next.

I saved these cookies on my del.icio.us on Nov, 24 and immediately printed the recipe – I thought it was really worth trying. I made up my mind a couple of days later, when I saw that Jenjen had baked them too – and her cookies looked even more beautiful and delicious than the ones I’d seen on Martha’s website!!

The recipe is not difficult to follow; the only problem was that I started shaping the dough using the ice cream scoop I have – and that is definitely NOT a good ice cream scoop to shape cookie dough with. The cookies were too big and I did not like them. I shaped the remaining dough using a 1 ½ tablespoon and they were still big, but good-for-holding-without-breaking-in-half big.

I baked my cookies for 2 minutes longer than the time stated in the recipe – they were sort of fudgy in the middle and slightly crispy on the edges. Really, really good. :)

Preheat oven to 165ºC/325ºF. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Melt 112g (4 ounces) coarsely chopped chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; let cool slightly.

Put chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks.

Using a 1 ½-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 5cm (2 inches) apart. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 15 minutes (cookies should be soft). Let cool on parchment on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

These delicate madeleines are a simple homage to a friend of mine who lives on the other side of the planet. She’s a tremendously talented cook/baker and I have used many of her recipes here.A generous and sensitive friend, who sent, all the way from Japan, a box addressed to Brazil – a box full of beautiful and adorable things. And these were among the gifts:

It took me forever to first use the pans – every time I decided to make the madeleines, I remembered that the batter had to be refrigerated for at least a while. And as Murphy is also a friend of mine (sometimes) the idea of baking these beauties would only occur to me when there would be no time for batter-resting.

Of course I used a recipe from the person who sent me the pans – the madeleines were fantastic! I had never tried these famous miniature cakes – can I call them this way? – and it was a new and delicious thing to learn. The smell of the lime is contagious and the flavor… Well, I don’t need to tell these are highly addictive – can’t wait to try different recipes.

Akemi, my dear, you are a very, very special person. I’m so lucky to have you as a friend!! Thank you for sharing such amazing things with me! xoxo

Lime honey madeleines

100g unsalted butter100g all purpose flour½ teaspoon baking powder2 eggs60g sugar30g honey – I used orange blossom honey2 tablespoons lime juicepinch of grated lime zest – this is optional; I’m a citrus sucker so I used the grated zest of 1 large lime

Brush molds with melted butter and sprinkle with flour to coat; tap the pans to remove excess flour.Sift together flour and baking powder into a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until well combined. Add the juice, zest and the flour mixture. Mix only until flour is incorporated.Melt butter and honey in the microwave oven or in a small bowl over lightly simmering water – I did this step before starting the recipe itself and set the liquid aside to cool a bit.Add melted butter + honey to batter and mix well.

Cover the bowl with plastic or cling film and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour – I left it overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/355ºF. Pour batter onto prepared pans – it’s not necessary to level it up, since the batter will spread in the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean.

Makes 12 madeleines – I got 15 small + 5 large ones

The bumps were pretty small... I think I have to keep making madeleines until I get bigger bumps. :)